The other day at a shopping mall, I unexpectedly caught site of my backside in a reflection. When I came to, I couldn’t bring myself to tell the nice paramedic what had really caused my fainting spell.

Once home, I gazed in the mirror and uttered my daily prayer: “Dear lord: Grant me world peace, thin thighs, and hips without hail damage (not in any particular order).”

World peace seemed much more likely than thin thighs.

However, seeing forty in my rearview mirror has had its advantages. My thirst for knowledge has made me smarter than I was as a twenty-something (if nothing else, I recognize how much I don’t know). Funny how at that age I thought I knew it all—that I was wise beyond my years. I knew about life. I knew about love. My mother had assured me I could be anything I wanted to be when I grew up, and I believed her. (Note: My interpretation was that I could do everything I wanted to do—big difference).

With years has come more wisdom and hopefully maturity. It seems that most things in life can be summed up by the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

The (T)ruth is, sometimes life’s not fair. (Speaking of not fair, how about those thighs???) And we can get stuck in the “unfairness” of it all—or we can accept it, maybe even laugh about it, and move on.‘

And yet when I am kinder to myself, I can acknowledge that these thighs have formed the lap that lovingly held my children when they were tired, or sick, or just craved the solace of a loving hug. They have powered many steps while running through airport terminals, trudging to the laundry room, or walking thoughtfully on the beach. They have held me upright while performing CPR, cooking a meal, or giving the eulogy of a parent. They allow me to tenderly wrap myself around and engulf my lover, becoming one in a passionate embrace that cannot be experienced by youth.

In a sense each dimple, lump, and bump has earned its way there. My experiences have molded me into the incredibly unique person that I am. Perhaps I could practice being kinder to myself—and to my thighs.

Keynoter, author, and neurohumorist Karyn Buxman is NOT pregnant. However she will be birthing her next book, “Laughing Your Way to More Money, Better Sex, and Thinner Thighs” in 2014. Pass the word along to any BFF who could use a laugh—and stay tuned!

From my point of view, Nurses Week and Hospital Week 2013 absolutely rocked! I had the good fortune to speak to the nursing staff at dozens of healthcare systems – always a thrill for me, because it’s a privilege to recognize, entertain and inspire the awesome nurses from coast to coast.

But how did Nurses Week look to other nurses around the country?

When I ask nurse managers and healthcare systems administrators what their biggest challenge is, the word ‘engagement’ comes up a lot: “We need nurses who are engaged, actively focused on the best in patient care – especially now that reimbursement rates are directly tied to patient satisfaction.” Nurses Week and Hospital Week celebrations are the time to recognize and celebrate the vital role nurses play (and hopefully inspire them to want to keep up their incredible performance!).

Are we doing a good job of letting nurses know how important they are?

Yes and no. When asked, many nurses are quick to share ‘The Good’, like the one nurse who wrote to me, “Awesome place of employment with an incredible Admin. Asst. who gave each of us nurses a different lei nearly every day = so we all got LEI’d!” Others share ‘The Bad’, like the nurse who lamented, “Yeah. We got a pen. That’s it. A Pen.” And there are those that share ‘The Ugly’: “What did we receive? Not a thing. Not even a thank you.”

Here’s what I’ve discovered over my years of participating in annual Nurses Week celebrations:

Peer To Peer Recognition is So Important

One of the most heartening things I heard this year was the numbers of nurses who went out of their way to wish each other “Happy Nurses Week!” Harvard Business School researchers have found that in any organization, when there is a healthy culture of peer-to-peer recognition in place, turnover can be reduced by more than a third.

Think back to Nurses Week in your facility. Did you hear your nurses wishing each other “Happy Nurses Week?” Not every team is equally enthusiastic about celebrating their strengths. You may need to provide education and leadership to help integrate this behavior into the culture of your organization. Lateral recognition is so important. We should encourage it throughout the entire year.

Don’t Forget The Night Shift!

“There was a luncheon… but too early for us 3-11 shifters to come in and 11-7 staff were home in bed,” one nurse reported.Unfortunately, night shift nurses too often get short-changed when it comes to Nurses Week & Hospital Week celebrations. A noteworthy exception was the thoughtfulness of University of Connecticut’s Chief Nursing Officer, Ellen Leone, who came into her facility in the middle of the night to serve ice cream sundaes to the entire team.

But for most night nurses, the story is sadly different. “They invited us to daytime activities and leftovers for the night shift,” was an all-too common response to my inquiries about recognition celebrations. Considering how hard it is to find – and keep! – great night shift nurses, couldn’t we do more than leave them the leftovers?

Be Sincere

It’s important to remember that some of the nurses we’re trying to connect with can be skeptical people. Part of this is an occupational hazard: There are only so many times you can hear patients tell you that they’re stringently following doctor’s orders when all the evidence points to the contrary before you begin to doubt their reports! Nurses know that some folks talk the talk but don’t walk the talk.

Our culture also plays a role as well. The Pew Research Group tells us that people no longer trust the government; The New York Times reports that we don’t trust big corporations or financial institutions; and Gallup tells us that nearly two thirds of Americans don’t trust the media.

It can be tough for healthcare systems that want their nurses to trust them to create that sense of confidence! Creating trust requires that one’s words and one’s actions be in alignment. Walk the talk! If you want your nurses to trust that you actually care about them and their well-being, your organization’s actions must reflect this sentiment in every sphere, from creating and implementing nurse-friendly policies and procedures to ceremonial occasions, like Nurses Week and Hospital Week. Sincerity matters, and is appreciated and remarked upon by nurses, like the comment from one nurse below:

“I know it came from their hearts, the words spoken were truly meant for each of us,” said Wanda Roberts, on Facebook, “I can’t thank Christine Donohue RN of Capital Caring Hospice enough for making May 6th the best day of the year so far.”

The takeaway here is clear: As you begin making plans for Nurses Week or Hospital Week 2014, start from a place of genuine appreciation for the role nurses play in your organization’s success. The front line of patient care is an important place to be. You want the very best people standing there… and once they’re in place, you want to keep them happy. It needn’t take much (although it does take more than a pen!) but you do need to be sincere.

Nurse, speaker, and neurohumorist, Karyn Buxman, is funny AND informative AND inspiring AND… well, see for yourself. Go to www.KarynBuxman.com and discover how she can create more success, significance and happiness at your healthcare system.

Truth is, I don’t watch TV much. Mostly it’s bad for your health. And honestly most of us don’t watch TV as much as we let it drone on in the background until something manages to cut through the clatter.

My stress level begins to climb after just a few minutes of listening to Natalie Morales telling me about the war raging in (name-your-location-here), or Norah O’Donnell telling me about the effects of global warming, or Jean Chatsky telling me I’ve invested poorly and am going to have to let my favorite child pick out my nursing home. I’ll admit it, my chest feels a little tighter, my anxiety is a little higher, and I’m wondering if a glass of Merlot for breakfast would count as a fruit on my Weight Watcher points.

But yesterday something different cut through the clatter. I’m thinking, “Did I hear that right?!” I stopped what I was doing and looked up. The commercial for Kmart’s gas savings was quick—and by the time I got to where I could see the TV, the ad was over. But what I heard was so clever and quirky that I was compelled to fire up the computer and look it up on YouTube.

Funny? Hysterical!

Witty? You bet!

Edgy? Without a doubt.

But Kmart understands that Funny Means Money. If you want someone listening, get them laughing. And now your message, your product, your service is heard above the noise. Trust me. I’m not the first one to forward Kmart’s link to hundreds of my BFFs. Kmart has managed to generate two million hits in just a few days. You can watch it for yourself here. I gotta run. I’m going to get my “BIGGAS” savings.

Laughter with a purpose. Mirth with a message. Humor that heals. Keynotes and inspirational speeches that enlighten, educate and entertain. All from Karyn Buxman, who is not only funny, but who is a “neurohumorist” – one who researches the neurobiology of humor, and then translates these cutting-edge findings for the layperson, showing how they can harness applied humor to heal and empower themselves. Key messages include “Humor is power,” and “It’s more important to see funny, then to be funny.”

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